Maidenhead man denies child sex offences

A man has appeared in court charged with sexual offences against a child.

Anthony Bharji, 41, of Ellington Park, appeared at Reading Crown Court this week accused of three counts of sexual assault against a child under 13, two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, two counts of attempted voyeurism, and one count of making indecent photographs of children.

He denies the charges.

The alleged crimes took place between 2010 and 2014. The court heard the alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was ‘freaked out’ by Bharji and was ‘shocked’ when he touched her.

The prosecution played a video from a police interview with the alleged victim, in which she said Bharji had twice tried to record her during private moments with his mobile phone.

Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, read a transcript from Bharji’s police interview in 2014. In it Bharji described the alleged victim’s claims as a ‘proper, proper lie’. In a second interview on Friday, October 23 last year, police told him they found indecent images of children on a computer belonging to him, which included footage of a girl who appeared to be under 16 getting changed.

Mr Walsh quoted Bharji as saying the video could have come from a pop-up as he searched for other pornography. He also said he had an interest in Japanese pornography, which he told police was often made in the style of a hidden camera.

James Ruffell and his Ministry of Silly Walks Signs. James put up a Ministry of Silly Walks sign to encourage people to do a silly walk when they go past his house. The idea is based on a scene from the Monty Python movie. High Street, Sonning. James Ruffell